My Life
by Wombaat
Summary: A companion piece to Where I came from and Aftermath. Teasers story as she grows up. Swaps between PoV and narratives. 1st chapter is quite long. RT/Dem/Munk/Jem. Also has my first songfic now in chap 3 no it's not mine.
1. Chapter 1

**Teazers Life.**

…

**Here's one for Shegorulz. I promised that I'd do up a companion piece for the story I did on Mungojerrie about Rumpleteaser's life until Jerrie joined the Jellicles. I also mention my first OC cats in this one and I've based them on my two little demons.**

**I swap a bit from Teasers POV to narratives. As the story developed it started to range out a little to a wider plotline. **

**Here you go I hope you all like it.**

**Note: I don't own the rights to cats. Those belong to TSE, RUG and ALW. **

…

The first sensation I ever felt was a huge pressure, like I was being squeezed all over and then it was cold and empty. Next thing I knew was there was something long, rough and wet, but very comforting for some reason, running along my fur cleaning me off.

I was cuddled into something soft and furry and the tip of a little flexible thing was put in my mouth. I started to suck on it for some reason, hey there's something coming out that tastes pretty good. It filled my mouth with a liquid so I swallowed and continued sucking on it and drinking until I was full.

Something took me away from the warm and held me under my arms, I couldn't touch anything. Put me back. I was warm and it was nice. Whatever it was that was holding me, began turning me around and lifting things and poking other things. Then I was put back onto whatever the furry thing was and something started to stroke and pat me on the back. "Ooo I wish you wouldn't do that I'm not feeling that good in my belly when you do th… BURP! Oh now I feel a little better. I might just have a little nap.

…

Munkunstrap gazed down at the sweet little kitten in his mate Demeters' arms. The birth had gone flawlessly and they were the proud parents of a beautiful little queen kitten. He looked wonderingly at the golden and black queen on the bed "You've done a wonderful job Dem. She's nearly as beautiful as her mother. A perfect blend of your colouring and my patterns."

Demeter just drew Munk in closer for a kiss "Come down here, silly. Do you want to hold her? Don't worry you wont break her." With that Dem passed the newborn kitten to her new father. Munk nervously took daughter in his arms and drew her into his chest. "Hey there gorgeous." He raw a finger lightly under her chin causing a small smile on the sleeping kittens face, and then sat down beside his mate on the bed and drew her into an embrace with his other arm. "Could life get any more perfect?" he wondered.

"What do you think we should name her Dem?" he asked.

"I like the name Tease." Demeter replied tiredly.

"Tease?" queried Munk. "I like it but it doesn't seem quite right for some reason. Umm. Teaser? No that doesn't quite fit either." He cast his eyes about the den as he thought of a name for his daughter, taking in the serenity of the birthing den and the chaos of the bed. "How about, Rumpleteaser?" a name sprang to mind.

"Rumpleteaser? I like it and like you said it fits. Hello there my little Rumpleteaser. Welcome to the world" and with that Demeter snuggled into Munk's silver fur and drifted off to sleep to the deep purr coming off her mate. Munk just lay there with the two ladies in his life and thanked the everlasting cat for blessing them.

…

I was getting used to the sounds that surrounded me. There were a few people saying things that were always there, and others that came and went. The one that was there the most also had the most wonderful scent and really comfortable fur to cuddle into, it was really soft and cushiony. The other person that was there all the time would always be picking me up and holding me against them. They had really comfortable fur too but were a lot harder and more solid underneath, whoever it was also had a really nice smell, kinda musky, and I had the strangest feeling that I could always rely on the owners of these two scents.

I hadn't really been able to explore much I was pretty confined with the fact all I could see was black. My legs were getting stronger and I made a bit of a game up for myself. I'd get up and turn to face away from the warm fur and scamper off blindly. I'd only get a few steps before something would wrap around the back of my next and I'd be put back next to the nice smelling fur with a giggle. I'd normally just burrow into it then and listen to the purr and the heartbeat. I'd figured out that it was my mother due to that noise. After all I'd been listening to it for the last 9 weeks.

Then one day, after I woke up from a nap there was something new. It wasn't black anymore.

…

"Oh, Munk. Look!" Demeter cried. "Her eyes are opening."

Munkunstrap rushed over to his mate and got down to peer at his daughter curled up against Demters' stomach. "Hello there little lady. Welcome to the world. I'm your daddy."

…

There were these two figures around me. They were really big. The one that I was curled up with was black and gold and had a white chest and belly and was the owner of that wonderful scent that I'd come to associate with my mother. The other one had silver fur streaked with black and had that musky smell. What did he say. He's my daddy? I got to my feet and walked over to him to nuzzle into his fur, not realising that I was on a bed and he was on the floor. He caught me on the way down and swung me into a big hug. With that I knew I could always count on my daddy to protect me. He put me back down with mother and she drew me over and started to lick, so that's what that long wet thing was, my head and ears.

She said "Once we get you nice and clean we'll take you outside and introduce you to the junkyard." Daddy looked over at her and asked "Isn't it a little early? She's only just opened her eyes."

"I know" mummy said, "but I need to get outside and get some fresh air for a bit. That and I want to show her off." Then she let out the sweetest little giggle. "You know that Bombs wants to meet her and she needs all the happiness she can get after your brother."

My daddy got really still and quiet after that. I don't know why but he seemed angry. I cuddled into mummy and started to cry. "It's ok Teaser. Mummy and daddy are here. It's ok." Mummy wrapped me up in her arms. Daddy softened and put those big arms around us both. "Who's up for a visit outside?" he said.

…

"Do you want to carry her?" Demeter asked her mate, getting up from the bed she'd been confined to with the new kitten for the last week.

"Sure" replied Munk. "It's daddy/daughter time" and scooped up the little bundle of fur on the sheets.

Demeter just laughed at the antics of her mate. She'd been worried about how he would cope with being a father on top of all his other duties within the tribe. He revelled in it though, you could see it in every fibre of his being that being a father seemed to complete him.

The little family of three walked out of the den into the junkyard.

The yard was huge several city blocks in size. It wasn't a typical tip and there wasn't much garbage around, it was more of a place where old machines, cars and furniture ect was dumped. Over the years, stuff had piled up and in some places formed nearly mountainous heaps of junk. Other areas were kept meticulously clean of rubbish and were used as meeting places and places for recreation by the Jellicles. Many of the items that had been dumped there were converted to very comfortable dens by the resident cats and they humans were kept to the outskirts of the yard by the Jellicle magic. Nothing vindictive, just that if a human entered then their mind changed about what they were there for and the desire to explore or pass through was removed. The size of the yard didn't even register on the authorities such was the subtlety of the magic that was put in place so many years before.

The den bordered the central clearing of the yard and it was this clearing that most of the Jellicles used for sunbathing, it also doubled as the nursery for any kittens that were currently out.

The cats that were currently occupying the clearing all looked up with smiles to see the young family enter the area. Several of them coming over to greet the new addition. It was a blur for the young kitten with so many names and she was passed from cat to cat as all the queens wanted to have a cuddle. Then she spotted something that looked really interesting.

…

Over in the corner of this big open space was a little cat a bit bigger than me chasing a spot of light on the ground that was jumping around. It looked like so much fun. I wriggled around and my mummy put me down on the ground. I ran over to the other little cat and looked at her. "U won t' ply too?" he asked. I nodded my head and he looked at a big orange cat that was watching us. "Cn she ply too daddy?" The orange cat just nodded "of course Electra. Just don't be too rough like your sister." He sounded strange, not like the other cats, I later found out he was Scottish and they spoke differently there. We started chasing and pouncing on this little spot on the ground but it would always get away. It was great fun and I had a friend.

I looked back at mummy and daddy at one point and they were lying up on some of the piles around the open area. Mummy was talking to a big red cat with a white chest. She was one of the cats I'd been cuddled by and I think her name was Bombaria or something like that. Daddy gave mummy a lick and went off to talk to one of the other big cats.

I went back to my game and my new friend.

After a while we were both a little tired and curled up together for a nap. Daddy had come over to talk to Electra's daddy about something, when we heard a scream. Everyone looked over at the big red cat who looking like she had fallen off the pile of junk she'd been on with mummy. Hang on. Where is mummy? I couldn't see her anywhere. My daddy ran over to the red cat and then started running around crying out "Dem? Demeter?" over and over and over.

The orange cat picked up Electra and me and carried us into a den where he put us down next to another little girl cat who seemed to be bouncing even though she was asleep. He sat there stroking our fur and we went back to sleep.

…

Munk rushed over to Bombs. He reached her and was rudely shoved aside by a large Main Coon, "Bombs? Bombs are you ok?" cried Rum Tum Tugger, who coincidently was Munks half brother.

"Ugh. My head" said the queen groggily.

She blinked owlishly at the crowd of cats. "What happened? What am I doin… Dem? Demmy!" She started looking around with growing panic.

"Munk?" she called. Spotting the tom she spouted urgently, "It was Macavity. He grabbed her and pushed me off the junkpile when I started to fight. "You have to get her back."

Munkunstrap paled and ran up to the top of the junkpile scanning the nearby vicinity. "Dem. Demeter?" he called. But there was no reply and no movement anywhere he could see.

His mate and mother of his kitten was gone without a trace.

…

3 years later.

…

I'd gotten out again. Skimble and Jenny meant well but I didn't like being confined in the den with them and the other two girls in winter, it was just too tight and with Etcetera being hyperactive like she was, it was nuts. I headed over to my dads den to see if he was home, I didn't really think he would be. He was normally out at night roaming the city trying to find my mother. He'd been looking for 3 years. He nearly gave up before two cats new to the junkyard told us that she was still alive. Apparently Coriphant and Tantomile were psychic or something. So he doubled his efforts. I rarely saw him anymore. He was either out looking or in the den asleep. He'd even missed the last two Jellicle balls; something that the adults said was unheard of for a jellicle cat.

I was right. The den was empty and cold, but it was quiet and it smelled like him. Jenny and Skimble had taken over raising me after mum was taken by Macavity but they weren't my parents. I missed my mum, but I could barely remember her, I missed my dad more, it was like he didn't even see me anymore.

I had a rest in the quiet, before becoming restless. I thought I'd head over towards the gate and wait for dad. Maybe he'd look at me this time?

I made my way up a pile of trash near the gates and waited for him to come home while watching the sunrise. I'd been sitting up there for a while when I spotted some movement just inside the gates. It was an old cat. She was filthy, covered in mud and gunk. I went down to see if she needed any help, Jenny had been giving me first aid lessons, and as I got closer I saw that she had a small black and white kitten in her arms and another one lying at her feet, that I thought was white but it was hard to tell. Neither kitten had opened it eyes yet.

"Can I help you at all? I asked.

The cat replied "I, I need to see Jenny, or Jelly."

So she knew our nursing cats so she must have been here sometime in the past.

"I'll take you to Jenny. She's my mum" I said and picked up the little white kitten.

"Your mother?" the queen, yes it was a queen, looked at me a little strangely.

"Step mum actually." I said, bast this kitten was light, "come on."

I led the queen through the junkyard to where Jennie's medical den was. A few more cats were up and about now, Jenny was just exiting the birthing den where Jelly had given birth to 3 tom kittens just a couple of days ago.

"Jenny" I called, "this cat needs help."

Jenny looked over at us and seeing the state of the adult beside me rushed over a couple of other cats in tow. "Oh, you poor dear. Lets just take them off your hands and you can rest. Alonzo? Come here you mangy pollicle. Carry this queen into the den. Chop chop."

Alonzo, a black and white tom who I thought was a snob, tried to pick up the strange queen but she shied away from him and hid behind Jenny.

"I can walk. Don't touch me!" She nearly screamed, surprising everyone, including me.

Jenny looked at her sadly "Oh dear." Did she know something.

"Teaser" Jenny said to me, "can you help her into the den please?"

I handed the little kitten to Alonzo and got myself under this queen's arm, and we made our way to the den. As we walked across the clearing, I started to smell this cat's scent. It was very faint but I could just make it out over the smell of the blood and dirt that caked her fur. It was very familiar, kind of like an old dream but I couldn't place it. We were only a couple of paces from the door when she stopped and turned around.

A bedraggled figure had entered the clearing, my dad had returned home again, he was obviously unsuccessful and despondency hung off him like a cloak.

The queen I was supporting murmured something softly, she then said it a little louder. I could barely hear it but it was my dad's name. "Munkunstrap?"

Somehow he heard. I don't know how, as it wasn't that quiet a day and she didn't raise her voice at all, but he heard her question. His head came up and locked eyes on this queen. She ducked her head down and broke eye contact with him. My dad rushed over and reached out slowly raising her face to look at him again.

"Demeter?"

Demeter? I looked at this cat. Could this be my mother? I couldn't remember clearly. I'd only seen her for a single day and it was so long ago. Could it really be her?

My dad went to wrap her up, and she tore herself out of my grip and backed away hissing. He looked confused and sad. "Dem? It's Munk" he said quietly.

"I. I" she turned and hobbled up the entrance tunnel to the medical den.

I turned back to my dad. "Is that really her daddy?"

He looked down at me, and then suddenly grabbed me up and swung me around laughing. "It's her, it's really really her. She's home."

"But why did she run away from you" I asked as he put me down.

"I don't know but we'll find out. We just need to give her time I suppose. Do you want to go and see her?" he asked.

"I don't know." I was a little scared, my mother was back, but I didn't know her at all. She'd been taken from me when I was still a newborn, Jenny was the only mother I'd ever known. She'd raised me beside her own kittens, Electra and Etcetera. I'd always known Jelly wasn't my mum but she was the closest thing I'd ever had. I'd even started to pick up Skimbles accent in my speech. What if she didn't like me, what if I didn't like her? So many things were running through my mind that I was confused and scared.

It must have shown on my face because daddy bent down and picked me up. "Hey it's ok. She's your mum and she'll love you no matter what, OK?"

…

Munk and Teaser entered a scene of controlled bedlam in the medical den. Two new kittens and a scared queen didn't equate to a congenial atmosphere but Jenny was taking it all in her stride. She soon had a bath set up for the kittens and a larger one in another room for Demeter to clean herself off.

The two newcomers were summarily given kitten washing duty, something that Teaser found surprisingly entertaining, and something that brought back memories for Munk of when Teaser was born and performing the same tasks. While they did this, Jenny went in to assist the obviously injured Demeter to clean up and have a quiet chat.

"Demmy?" Jenny asked, "are you ok?"

"No I'm not. Not really." Dem cried. "What I went through, what I saw, I can't believe it's over."

"Is that my little girl out there?" she asked hopefully. "She's grown so big."

"It's been 3 years my dear" said Jenny.

"Only 3? It seemed like forever. It felt like it would never end" replied the dirty queen quietly.

"Look, get into the bath and we'll clean you up and you'll feel a little better" advised the nursing cat. "It won't take it all away but it'll help." Demeter wasn't the first cat that Jenny had seen that had suffered from prolonged abuse and had an idea of what her mind was going though.

"You just remember that you have us all here to help. Munk has been beside himself since the day you left. He's never stopped looking for you. He loves you." Jenny revealed.

Dem just put her face in her hands and cried. "I can't face him. Munk touched me outside and I saw 'Him.' I don't know if I can do it."

Jenny just sighed and put a comforting arm around the scared queen. "Shh. It's ok. I'll be there with you and he won't push, you know him better than that." Now lets get this gunk off.

Jenny was scrubbing away with gusto and suddenly stopped. "Oh"

Demeter tensed up again, knowing another result of her years as Macavities prisoner had just been revealed. "I'm at 2 weeks."

Jenny looked at the scared queen. "It's right on the cusp but we can terminate it if you want."

"No. No I can't. I've felt it moving. I can't do that now. I just don't know how I'm going to tell Munk. He'll throw me out and I can't take that." Dem had started to babble.

"Shhh, Shhh." Jenny wrapped her arm around the still wet but much cleaner queen. "Munk will never reject you for anything. You KNOW that, but you need to tell him. Him and Teaser."

"Now out you get and I'll dress those wounds and scratches, then we can go back out and have a nice talk."

…

The two queens went back out into the main medical den, a now clean Demeter wrapped up in several bandages where her injuries had been treated to find 2 toms and a queen kit feeding the two hungry newborns from bottles.

Teaser spoke first. "Skimble showed us where all the formula and bottles were Jenny. The kittens were hungry."

She looked at the bandaged queen timidly, "Are you my mummy?"

Demeter burst into tears and held her arms out. "Yes and I've missed you so much."

…

I jumped into my mummy's arms. I could smell her now, that scent brought back memories and feelings I thought I'd forgotten forever. Her fur was still soft and her heartbeat sounded the same but she was harder underneath, kind of like there was nothing but bones under her skin.

I looked up at dad, who was hanging back. He mustn't have wanted to be rejected again like outside. Mummy also looked, then looked at Jenny who nodded and took the little black and white kitten from dad. Then my mum did something I was later told was extremely brave and held out her paw to dad. He took hold of it and started to cry. My dad never cried and it started me off and that started everyone else off. At the end we were all sitting on the bed and Jenny was asking about the kittens.

…

"They aren't mine." Demeter explained, "When I was _there_ I was befriended by another queen. She'd been catnapped last year from her home but surrendered quicker than I did, the poor thing was a housecat who'd only just discovered she had jellicle blood. She'd only just become a queen when she was taken and it wasn't pleasant. I gave her sympathy and a shoulder when I could and she did the same for me. These are her kittens. Her name was Jemma. She was a sweet little kit, black all over except for a white chest, she had a beautiful singing voice, and we used to sing to each other. She had a brother, Jet, who was pure black though I found that out only in the last few days. She was very quiet and timid, but it didn't matter. Macavity got tired of her and she was given to the henchcats. She didn't know which one was the father."

She went on. "Jemma had just given birth when there was a disturbance where we were being held. Someone had appeared outside our cell and was unlocking the door. He had a red collar on of all things and Jemma recognised him and said it was her brother. He'd found us and had come to release his sister. He wasn't expecting me or the kittens though and it slowed us down.

We'd just about made it out of the old building that we were imprisoned in when Mac found us. Jet told us to run and tried to slow him down. Jemma wouldn't leave though. She gave me the kittens and asked me to look after them. She told me their names and ran back to help her brother. I owe them both my life, but as I ran I saw Macavity kill them. All I can do now is to honour her last with and ensure these two are always cared for."

"What are their names, dear?" asked Jenny.

"The tom is Mistofollees and the white queen is Victoria." Dem replied.

"Do you intend on caring for them yourself? What do you want to do?" Skimble asked.

"I can't do it. I'm not even sure I can look after myself again yet. How can I do that to two newborns?" Dem asked bitterly.

"Well, luckily enough we have a solution for that. Jellylorum gave birth the other day and I'm sure she can fit two more in, she always said she wanted a big family." Jenny revealed. "How about I go ask her?"

"Please" called Dem, "They need someone."

…

Jenny returned a few minutes later with Asparagus, Jelly's mate, to collect the two sleeping kittens. It appeared the Jelly was more than happy to provide for two more in her den and Asparagus was wrapt to have a queen kit as Jelly had only had tom kits.

She also returned with news. Apparently the news had gotten around that Dem had returned and there was someone outside who wanted to see her if she was up to it.

Dem nodded her head yes and Jenny called back out the door. "You can come i.."

A red blur ran past and threw herself at Demeter. A whole new round of tears began as the two sisters reconciled.

…

Daddy pulled me out of the den leaving mum and aunt Bombi to talk. She still looked a bit of a mess. She didn't take mummy being stolen any better than dad did.

Daddy took me home and we started to clean up the den. We didn't know when Jenny would let mum come home but we wanted the den to be perfect for her. We dusted and cleaned and aired everything out. Daddy got rid of all the old food that he'd just left out, too tired to clean up even if he did eat and I went out and picked fresh flowers and borrowed so lights from the twins and Uncle Tugger, he's got some really strange stuff in his den and he blushed when I asked him about some of them, so the den would be nice and light and warm.

We'd just finished when Auntie Bombi came in, looking a lot better I must say, with mummy. They'd been talking and talking and mummy had decided that she wanted to come home. Daddy was really happy, he danced around and everything. Auntie Bombi decided to stay for a few days as well in case mummy needed her.

A couple of days later mummy told daddy something that got him upset. He wasn't upset with mummy but swore at his brother a bit, I didn't understand what Uncle Tugger had done, and touched her belly quite gently. He then wrapped mummy up in one of those big cuddles he's so good at and told me I was going to have a little brother or sister.

It wasn't all good. Mummy would wake up at night screaming sometimes or run away from daddy and hide in my room with me. She'd just cuddle me and shake. She said it was just a nightmare but I didn't understand how, seeing as it wasn't night and she wasn't asleep.

…

A while after mummy came back to us, she woke up in the middle of the night and asked me to go get daddy, and tell him "it's time." She was sleeping with me again; she did this sometimes after she was scared of daddy. I went and woke daddy up and told him what she said. He was funny. He ran around for a bit and then sat down and then got up and ran around some more. Mummy came out and laughed at him, before bending over in pain. When I started to cry she just told me it was time for me to get that little brother or sister.

Daddy took her over to the birthing den and sent me to get Jenny and Jelly. I woke Jenny up and told her what daddy said. She thanked me and then put me to bed with my friends because I was tired.

…

Jenny and Jelly were both worried. They'd long since banished Munk outside the den and he was pacing around outside being kept company by half the toms in the junkyard. When Demeter had given birth to Teaser she'd had a very easy delivery. This was anything but. From everything they could determine the kit was facing the wrong way and there was the possibility that it would kill both the mother and kitten.

"Is there anything else we can do?" Jelly asked the senior nurse.

"Not really. It's in the Everlasting Cats paws now" Jenny replied. "All we can do is wait and hope."

…

Munk was pacing around the entrance to the den.

"What is taking them so long?" he complained to no one in particular.

Asparagus and Skimble just patted him on the shoulder.

"It'll happen when it happens my boy" said the railway cat.

Condolences came from many of the other toms scattered around. Most were concerned about what they thought was a premature birth, not many knew that the kitten was Macavities and it was widely accepted that the kitten was Munkunstraps.

There was a horrible scream that came from inside the den and Munk dashed for the entrance. Asparagus and Skimble were ready for this however and caught him before he could get through the door.

"Ease up lad" Skimble grunted at the silver tabby. "You need to wait until they call you in."

Munkunstrap reared up nearly throwing the two cats off, gaining strength from his fear for his mate. Asparagus called over to the other toms for help and together they managed to restrain the enraged cat on the ground. They'd just gotten him more or less calm when Jelly came out of the den and laughed at the sight in front of her. It was like a big ball of multicoloured fur with a silver base and Munkunstraps face poking out the bottom.

She let the toms know that they could let him up and informed him that he could come in now. Munkunstrap dusted off his fur and glared at the cats he thought were his friends before following the nurse into the den. He rushed over to his mate who was lying on the bed pale and tired but alive. She had a small kitten curled up on her chest. It was a queen. She was tiny even for a kitten but perfectly formed. She matched her mothers markings nearly perfectly but where Demeter had gold highlights the kitten had a dark red.

Munk reached over to his mate, "you've done well, Demmy. She's perfect and she's ours. Never forget that."

Demeter just smiled and pulled him over for a quick nuzzle.

They both looked up as a small disturbance at the door. Skimble was standing there with a small calico coated kitten.

…

Skimble came and got me and took me over to the birthing den. When we got inside mummy was rubbing her head and face against dads and there was a small furry bundle on her chest. Daddy called me over and let me look at my new sibling.

"You have a little sister, Rumpleteaser." Mummy said.

I replied. "She looks like you mummy, but she doesn't look like me." I felt a little bit jealous to be honest. She was perfect.

"What's her name?" I asked.

My dad explained. "Well you know how there was a cat that helped you mummy get back to us?"

I nodded, I didn't really get what had happened but I remember her talking about someone called Jem.

I voiced my thoughts and Daddy said yes.

"Well we decided that because of what Jemma and Jet did for us, we'd name the kitten after her."

"Say hello to your little sister, Jemima."

…

**Well that was a lot longer than I thought and it's only the first chapter. The next chapter will focus a lot more on Teasers growing up. In case you haven't noticed I'm using the same family groups and premise that I used in Aftermath.**

**It definitely didn't work out the way I started it but I'm happy enough.**

**The review button is right there, click it and let me know what you think. It's the first time I've tried a PoV piece and I don't know if it worked.  
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**BTW Jet and Jemma are real cats and that is really their names and descriptions. I thought it fitted in quite nicely.**


	2. Chapter 2

**My Life pt 2.**

**Thankyou Shego. Hopefully this chapter will make you just as happy.**

…

"_Say hello to your little sister, Jemima."_

…

Jemima was such a pretty name and my sister was such a pretty kitten, she had to stay in the den a lot though and was always sick. I wanted to play with her all the time but mummy kept shooing me away saying that she was too small or wasn't well and that I'd hurt her.

I won't hurt her. I love her. Why would I hurt her?

One day mummy was outside and daddy was looking after us in the den. He went off to do something in the other room and I finally got the chance to play with Jemmy. I didn't mean for it to happen but she was so light and she kinda slipped out of my hands when we were twirling around, I only wanted to teach her how to dance. There was so much blood and I screamed and ran.

…

We found her tucked up the end of a small tunnel in the back of the junkyard a few hours later. Dem was frantic with worry, she had all sorts of horrible thoughts going through her mind, the most common of which was that Macavity had stolen her. It was one of the hardest things for me to deal with to be honest. This extreme paranoia about my brother, though it is completely justified. I'd had Jenny sedate her back in the den. She was curled up around Jem sound asleep.

When we eventually found her, she wouldn't come out to us. She had this idea that she'd killed her sister and that we all hated her. It was just a little cut on the head, they bleed a fair bit but everyone knew that, didn't they? I keep forgetting that Teaser is only a little over 5 because her behaviour is so adult like, she probably didn't know.

We couldn't get into the little tunnel Teaser had gotten herself in. Every time we called she simply looked at us with scared eyes and shook her head. I didn't know what to do, my little girl was scared of me, it was times like this I really hated the times I'd lost with her when she was a kitten. Then, bless him, Skimble came up to us and wanted to give it a try. He'd been a better father to her than I had in those 3 years her mother was missing. He motioned us all back and called to her quietly. Everlasting cat it worked. Teaser crept out and clung to his leg. She kept peering around his legs at me and hiding again every time she knew I was looking, it was heartbreaking, she was actually terrified. I'd never do anything to hurt my little Rumpleteaser.

Asparagus came over and told me that it'd probably be best to let Skimble take her for now, and for us all to get back to the dens. I sighed and agreed, motioning everyone to head back. I gave my daughter one final look and left her with the railway cat.

…

"What's wrong lassie?" Skimbel asked me.

"I, I killed my sister" I wailed, "and everyone will hate me and mummy and daddy won't want me anymore."

"Ach. You didn't kill her dearie. It was just a little bump on the noggin." Skimbel replied.

"But all the blood and she just lay there." I wasn't hearing what he was saying to me, I was still too upset.

He bent down on one knee and picked me up, sitting over on an old tricycle with me on his lap. "It's ok Teaser. You didn't hurt her, it was an accident. Cuts on the head bleed and can kind of make you a little sleepy, but your sister is ok. Your mum and dad are beside themselves with worry over where you are though.

"They're worried about me?" I couldn't believe it.

"Aye love. Jenny even had to give your mummy something to help her sleep she's that scared something has happened to you and you saw how upset your daddy was just then."

"But I thought he was mad." I shrank back a little.

"Not mad silly. Just scared that you didn't love him anymore." Skimble gave me a little shake and a big cuddle. "Are you feeling a little better now? Reckon you can come back with me?"

"Y… yes maybe." I didn't know I was still scared that I'd be in trouble.

"It's ok. No one will be mad at you" he reassured me, then took me home.

…

Demeter woke from her induced sleep with a foul taste in her mouth. "Damn that Jenny. I should know better than to take anything from her when I'm upset" she thought to herself a little groggily. She looked around and saw the bandaged toddler on the bed with her, the incident earlier came crashing back down on her and she got up out of the bed and headed to the door, where she hesitated, looking back at Jemima.

Jem was sound asleep and Demeter looked around the room again, before coming to a decision. She ducked back to the bed and kissed her youngest daughter on the head and walked out the door. As she left the den a mass of cats were entering the clearing from the opposite side and her mate Munkunstrap was in the lead. She rushed over to him and began to ask where Teaser was.

Munk took her by the hand and led her back to the den and sat on an old box out the front, pulling Demeter down beside him.

"We found her in a small tunnel at the back of the yard, but she wouldn't come to me. She managed to go to Skimble and he is calming her down now. She was scared of me Dem. I looked in her eyes and she was scared of Me! What have I done that could have made my little Teaser scared of me?" Munk was basically breaking down in front of her with worry about their wayward daughter.

She wrapped a comforting arm around him and pulled him into her shoulder. "Shh honey. It'll be alright. She'll be ok." Dem was suborning her own concern into comforting her mate. If there was one thing that she gained from her time as the captive of Macavity, it was an ability to distance herself from her own emotions if she had a distraction to use.

They were still sitting there a while later when the marmalade tom brought the little calico kitten back to the yard. Skimble brought the kitten over to her parents, however couldn't convince her to come out from behind his legs. It wasn't until her mother basically got down on her knees and began to cry that the little queen timidly approached Demeter.

…

"Don't cry mummy." I said.

Mummy wiped her eyes and just held her arms out to me.

I couldn't stop myself, I needed a cuddle from my mummy. I threw myself at her sobbing that I was sorry I hurt my sister and I'd never do it again. Daddy wrapped us both up and was crying too. Skimble disappeared sometime while we were crying.

Mummy took me inside the den and showed me that Jemmy was ok and just had a little cut on her head just above where her hair started. Then she took me back out into the living room and I had to tell them what happened.

"Jemmy was awake and I wanted to play with her so I thought I'd teach her to dance." I said.

"Teaser. I've told you before that your sister isn't well. She is a lot smaller that everyone else her age and she can't play with you the way you do with Electra and Etcetera." I was told, again.

"But all we were doing was dancing, and she was laughing and having fun before she slipped. All we want to do is play with each other" I complained.

Daddy looked at mummy over my head and then back down to me. "We'll talk about it, but once her head is better we might start letting her play with you-" I squealed, "-if your mummy or I am around so nobody gets hurt again."

Mummy didn't look exactly happy about that but it was then that everything caught up with me and I let out a huge yawn. Daddy picked me up and put me in bed beside my sister and mummy kissed us both on the head and pulled up the covers.

…

Life got steadily better for Jemima after that. Demeter began to let the frail kitten out into the clearing to play with the other kits and she soon made firm friends with young Victoria and Mistofolees. The three became inseperable and were watched over by Jelly and Demeter. Teaser continued to play with the little kittens and was very quick to step in if anyone got a little too rough with them. Something Vic and Misto's step brothers, Plato, Tumblebrutus and Pouncival were constantly doing.

Dem still worried about the relationship between Teaser and Jem. Not that they were loving siblings but that Teaser was losing her kithood in looking after her sister, but she couldn't see a way to stop it from happening. Munk was proud as punch at the attitude his oldest daughter was showing and began to wonder if she'd want to take over as the tribe protector when he retired, not that it'd be any time soon.

About the only time that she reverted back to being a kitten was when his no good brother would come out into the clearing. He had some kind of mystical draw to the queens in the yard, including all the kittens, Etcetera in particular was besotted with him. Rum Tum Tugger was well aware of the effect he had, how could he not, but after a brief fling with Demeters sister, Bombarulina, would not commit to anyone past flirting. Once over a bit of nip, Munk had gotten out of him that he'd fallen in love but didn't know how to approach the object of his affections. Munk laughed his head off at that, the tomwhore of the tribe not knowing how to approach a queen. The reactions that he got from his inebriated brother ensured that it would be a very long time before Tugger would reveal who it was, only that it was one of the unattached adult cats and that it wasn't Bombs.

…

The years continued to go by and Teaser continued to look out for her sister who gained strength with every day. Teaser had continued to teach Jemima and Victoria to dance, Jem was an indifferent student though she enjoyed it, however Vic was simply incredible. She'd taken everything that Teaser, who was pretty damn good herself, could teach her and then went and learnt everything that anyone else in the yard could impart. She learnt Jazz, Ballet, Ballroom, Classical, Spanish, Latin and anything else that she could, then managed to combine it all into her own interminable style. Teaser didn't care, she just enjoyed being with the two of them.

Teaser was about 14 years old when things changed.

They were sitting outside in the clearing with some of the other kittens and one of the older teens had brought out a radio he'd found in the yard and put some music on. Victoria was taking the opportunity to dance with her brother when a song came on that they'd all heard before.

All of a sudden the most exquisite sound came from a small figure in the group of kits. A sweet soprano voice rose from Jemima singing along with the music on the radio and everything stopped. They entire clearing watched in awe as the small timid kitten, stood there facing the moon and belted out this exquisite sound.

After the song had faded the entire clearing rushed around Jemima, praising the little kit, who quite innocently did not realise what the fuss was about. She just liked to sing. Unnoticed by everyone a calico kit slunk off into the shadows and into her den.

…

I shouldn't be jealous. I know I shouldn't but why her?

I mean what have I done wrong? I do everything that I'm asked. I look after her, I look after all the kittens but why don't I get anything special? Vickie can dance, the brothers are just nuts, Etcy is hypo but everyone loves her anyway, Electra is one of the sweetest kittens out there, Misto has that mr sparky pants thing going and now Jem has the voice of an angel. What do I have? Nothing. I'm plain and quiet and nothing. ** (A/N: You know how hard it is for a 40 year old bloke to write like a moody emo teenage girl? I'm not going to dwell on this just accept that's what's happening, ok?)**

…

Jemima came back into the den a while later, ecstatic from the reception her singing got from the tribe and found her sister lying on her bed. Oblivious to the funk Teaser was in, Jem went on about how everyone loved the song and mum had come over and said that it was like hearing Jem's namesake again. She bounced up and down excited over the evening until Teaser angrily told her to shut the hell up and leave her alone, punctuating the nasty comment with a cushion in the face.

The 11 year old kitten was shocked at her sisters actions and went crying to her mum, as little kittens do. Demeter calmed her down and got her off to sleep in the bed she normally shared with Munkunstrap, then headed into the girls bedroom for a little heart to heart with her oldest daughter.

…

"You want to tell me what that was all about, young lady?" Dem asked as she entered the room.

"She annoyed me" I replied, the bloody little sneak had run off to mum.

"She was excited over her singing. You of all cats should be happy for her." Mum said to me.

"Well I'm not so leave me alone!"

"You wake up to yourself. Your sister adores you. What's this all about?" mum asked.

I didn't want to tell her. "Nothing" and I turned and faced the wall.

Mum stood there for a few seconds and then went out of my room and slammed the door.

"Good."

…

"I don't know what's gotten into that kit." Dem fumed as she stalked into the living room.

Munk looked over. "What do you mean?"

"She's just bitten Jemima's head off because of her singing."

Munk laughed. "What did you expect? She is a teenager after all."

"But it's so unlike her. She's always been so responsible." Demeter complained.

"Maybe a little too much? There's nothing we can do at the moment. Let's see what the new day brings." And with that Munk picked Demmy up and took her off to their bed.

…

The next few months saw a very noticeable change in Teasers behaviour. She'd become sullen and moody, she constantly went off by herself exploring the far flung corners of the junkyard. No area was off limits or too dangerous for her to enter, all attempts of contact by her family or friends were rebuffed and answered with a haughty silence.

She began to use the natural gymnastic ability granted by her dancing to get into places both in and outside the yard that were normally considered inaccessible. She loved being able to sit in a shadow where no one expected her to be and listen to all peoples secrets.

Teaser had just exited an apartment complex a couple of blocks from the junkyard when something completely unexpected happened. She was walking through the alley at the rear of the building when something bright and shiny attracted her eye. She approached it and noticed it was a metal mirror hanging from some sort of wire mesh. As she got up for a closer look she stepped on some sort of latch and a wire gate came down behind her. She was trapped?

…

"Munk? MUNK? Where are you." Alonzo was racing through the yard.

The tribe protector turned from where he was talking to Jelly's kittens who'd just managed to somehow flood Rum Tum Tuggers den with an old fire extinguisher that they'd found. "Alonzo. Over here."

"OH thank the cat I've found you" panted the bi-colour tom. "I just saw something awful."

"I was coming back from Bomba's pets house and I saw Teaser. Munk she'd been caught in some sort of trap and the humans were taking her away."

"WHAT?" shouted Munk, and then a little more quietly. "What humans?"

"Umm I think it was the pound" supplied Alonzo.

"That should be ok, We're all registered on the council with the yard on our collars." Munkunstrap started to settle down a bit.

"She wasn't wearing her collar when I saw her boss" said the tom a little timidly.

"Oh shit. Umm. She's a good looking kitten, some human will take her home, I hope. In the meantime we need to start working on a way to get her out. For cats sake, don't tell Dem." Munk started to think of options and ways to get his daughter free from the pound.

Try as he might there wasn't much he could come up with.

Teaser might just have to get herself out of this one…

…

**Well that's it for this chapter. It may not be as polished as normal but it's about 2 am and I'm dead on my feet.  
><strong>

**Read and review please people.**

**Next and last one will deal with the return of Teaser and the first meeting with Jerrie.**


	3. Chapter 3

**My Life Pt 3**

…

**Thanks for the review Em.**

**This will be the last chapter for this story. Hope you all enjoy it.**

…

_Teaser might just have to get herself out of this one…_

…

I still couldn't believe I'd been that stupid. We're told and told when we are kittens, "Don't talk to strangers, Don't play in the street, Don't touch anything that doesn't belong to you," and what did I do? I get attracted by something shiny. Idiot.

I'd been in this bloody place now for 6 months. I was hoping that my dad would be able to get me out with some magic plan but I'd seen no sign. I was starting to understand how my mother felt all those years ago. At least I wasn't being abused and tortured. I've seen some shocking things in this place, I was starting to understand how lucky we were in the junkyard. Just the other day they brought in this poor kitten who looked like she'd been starved and beaten, she had a huge scar around her neck and something had torn, not cut but torn, her ears off. About the only good thing about it was that she was blind and couldn't see what had been done to her. She was only here a couple of hours before the one of the humans that works in this place came and took her away, I haven't seen her since.

When I got to this place they put me in a cage with half a dozen other cats, none with Jellicle blood unfortunately so I didn't even have anyone to talk to. The other cats learnt to stay away from me pretty quickly, one of the toms came over and started nosing around and purring. I pretty easily put him in his place, normal cats just can't stand up to Jellicles. It kinda makes nights a little cold, I'd look over at the other cats curled up together from the other end of the cage where I'd be curled up by myself.

I expected to be picked up from here as a rescue by a human family pretty quickly but was disabused of that over time. There was a regular stream of human families that came through the area where the cells are. They'd look in my cage over all of us and then move on. After a while the humans that worked in the pound would come by and take one of the cats away and we'd never see them again. The humans always had a really sad look on their faces when this would happen and I came to dread their appearance, wondering if they'd ever be coming for me. Eventually I was the only one left in the cage, I'd seen one of my cage mates, a beautiful little ginger kitten who was only about 12 weeks old, get adopted but the rest had gone with the human workers through those forbidding doors at the end of the room.

Then one day they came for me. I crouched in the back of the cage huddled up on the blankets when they opened the doors. I was terrified and just stared up into this humans eyes for what seemed like the longest time just willing him to shut the door and leave me alone. There's no-one here I screamed in the depths of my mind. To my surprise he got a blank look on his face and stood up and closed the door. I didn't understand what had happened. I was saved by something. This happened several times until they finally stopped coming for me.

I've since worked it out. You see, in the junkyard there is a spell that's maintained by the life-force of all the Jellicles that are resident there. It clouds the mind of intruders and diverts them from entering too far or investigating the yard, that way the cats stay safe. It was set up to be completely unconscious and nobody even considers it much anymore. We're taught about it as kittens but it's just one of those things your parents tell you that you autodump immediately. I was starting to discover that it could be consciously controlled a bit as well. I couldn't control the humans, god knows I tried, but I could make them forget I was there. The first week I tested how far I could go and they stopped feeding me, big mistake there I know, until I figured out how to reverse the effects. Luckily hunger is a great motivator and I worked it out. I managed to fine tune the effects until I could just avoid getting picked out to go back _there_.

More cats came and went. Never more than a couple of queens at a time in my cage, I didn't want any more problems with toms. It became liberating to a certain extent to just act like your everyday housecat, I could just laze and do nothing. I'd been alone now for so long it came as a huge surprise to hear a voice one night from a nearby cage.

"Is anyone here?" I heard.

"Yes, yes I'm here. Who is that?" I cried out.

"Admentus, who are you?" was the reply.

"It's Teaser!" I said in relief.

"Teaser? We've finally found you! Thank the cat."

"Finally? What do you mean?" I wondered.

"We've been looking for you for months. Munk has been locked up in just about every pound in the city, but we're not in the city. We're out in the country here. From what we can understand this place normally gets the entire overflow from London, most of the cats here never make it back out." Admentus explained.

"What do you mean, never make it back?" I asked, not really wanting to know the answer.

"Teaser. This place isn't for adoptions. It's an extermination facility. If you aren't registered then you get put to sleep here. We'd checked everywhere else and I volunteered to look here."

"You did what?" I was shell shocked. All those cats I'd seen go through those doors were dead? They wouldn't even get to the heavyside layer as they weren't Jellicles; I at least had that to reassure me, slight as it was.

"I'll be fine. I just got caught roaming around this area without a collar. I had Jenny implant a identification chip in my neck before I left though so once they scan me I'll be released back home. Once I'm there we'll work out a way to get you out" he explained.

True to his word, Admentus was taken away the next day by a council worker after one of the humans waved a device of some kind over his back. As he was carried past my cage he gave me a wink and let me know that I'd be out soon. I didn't hear anything else for months.

I'd gotten that depressed I'd nearly failed to fog the minds of the humans. Once they even got to the point of picking me up to take me out of the cage before I acted. That incident convinced me that If I expected to get out of here I'd have to do it myself.

At this point I'd been there for a little over 9 months by my reckoning, though time didn't mean much when you're there. I started to increase the impact of the spell on the humans trying to get to the point where they'd forget to shut my door after filling my bowl or something along those lines. It didn't work, every time they'd just automatically latch the doors when they finished, so I decided that I needed to do something a little desperate. I tested out the range of the spell and the effects it could have then put my plan into motion.

The next time they opened my cage to take me away, I let them. The human female that picked me up carried me in her arms and cuddled me into her chest. I'd seen her do this with most of the cats, it really seemed to knock her around that she had to do this. I was carried through those double doors and down a green hallway to a white room. It had a metal topped table and bright lights. The humans there went through and took my temperature and checked my eyes and teeth for some reason. Why check to see if I'm healthy before killing me? The male there shaved a little patch on my leg and then stuck something sharp under the skin there. It led to a short clear tube and it was at this point I really wondered what the hell I was doing. The one that stuck me then left the room talking about having to 'prep another one' whatever that meant, leaving me alone with the kind lady. She picked up two syringes, one filled with a clear liquid and one that looked green. She didn't look at me and shoved the needle with the clear liquid into the tube and pushed.

I just about had a heart attack. I didn't act in time. I waited for everything to fade away but all I got was a cold leg, what the hell. The lady then picked up the green needle and looked at my face sadly. It was my chance. I hit her with the full force of the mind fogging spell, and it worked, Oh Everlasting Cat but it worked. The human lady stood there, unmoving with a blank look on her face. "Put the needle away and carry on" I sent, and then did my best attempt to play dead. The lady put the syringe back on the table and picked up my body. I was taken out through another door to another room. I kept my eyes focused on a point on the wall and tried not to move until the worker put me on a bench and left.

I waited for the door to close and then got to my feet and looked around.

Oh.

I was in a small area open to the air with 4 long metal benches and a furnace at one end. On these benches were the bodies of over 50 cats and kittens. This was to be my fate? I was stunned. I stood there for what seemed like hours, but was probably seconds, before what I was trying to do asserted itself. I looked around for a way out but there were no doors apart from the one I was carried in through, that only left up. Like I said the area was open to the air and the top of the furnace was an easy jump to the roof. From there I was able to make my way across the tiles of what was a compound of considerable size to a fence line. I scaled the fence and jumped over before something snagged the trailing plastic tube that was still in my leg. It was ripped out and I let out a piercing yowl. Oh Bast but that hurt. I limped away from the fence and managed to find somewhere to hole up where I could treat the wound left behind.

The next day I managed to painfully scale a tree and try to get my bearings. I had no idea where I was, there were no real buildings and all I could see was green fields and tall tree's clumped together every so often. I tried to remember what Admentus had said. "We were in a place outside the city." So where was the city. I couldn't see any sign of it anywhere. I didn't know what to do. If I was in a town I could make my way about but I had no experience outside of a built up area. I was flat out knowing how to feed myself in the country let alone find my way home.

It was as I was sitting there moping about how I was going to survive that night fell. I decided to climb down out of the tree and find somewhere to sleep when I had one last look around. It was at this point that something became evident that I hadn't noticed when the sun was up. Off to one side was a glow in the night sky. I couldn't see what was causing it. There wasn't any visible light source but there was a huge glow, kinda like just before the sun comes up. I looked at it a little longer before deciding that it would be as good a direction as any to go. Now that I had a purpose I climbed down out of the tree and started on my way.

…

Munkunstrap walked out of the cat carrier and ran off into the junkyard, giving a glance over his shoulder at the now common blank look on the face of the council worked that had brought him home. It had taken him 4 attempts at being caught by the council rangers to get taken to the pound where Admentus said his daughter was.

Once he was there he'd called and called Teasers name. He'd never gotten a response and feared that he'd been too late to save her. He'd been there for two days and cried himself hoarse to no avail, before the local council had sent someone to take him back to his home.

He trudged his way up to where his mate Demeter and their second daughter Jemima were sitting on the old oven. Demeter's face fell upon seeing the dejected pose of the tribal protector.

"She wasn't there Dem." Munk groaned, "I was too late. She was gone."

Tears welled in Demeters eyes and she drew Jemima into her arms and howled. Munk just jumped up on the oven and buried his head into his mates' neck and added his own tears to the mix.

…

In the dark of the night a slight figure walked through the junkyard clearing and jumped up on the great tyre. The cat turned her face to the full moon and prayed to the Everlasting Cat that she'd see her sister again. Jemima began to sing a song she'd heard on the radio that Pouncival pulled out every now and then.

_When you feel all alone_  
><em>And the world has turned its back on you<em>  
><em>Give me a moment please to tame your wild wild heart<em>  
><em>I know you feel like the walls are closing in on you<em>  
><em>It's hard to find relief and people can be so cold<em>  
><em>When darkness is upon your door and you feel like you can't take anymore<em>

_Let me be the one you call_  
><em>If you jump I'll break your fall<em>  
><em>Lift you up and fly away with you into the night<em>  
><em>If you need to fall apart<em>  
><em>I can mend a broken heart<em>  
><em>If you need to crash then crash and burn<em>  
><em>You're not alone<em>

_When you feel all alone_  
><em>And a loyal friend is hard to find<em>  
><em>You're caught in a one way street<em>  
><em>With the monsters in your head<em>  
><em>When hopes and dreams are far away and<em>  
><em>You feel like you can't face the day<em>

_Let me be the one you call_  
><em>If you jump I'll break your fall<em>  
><em>Lift you up and fly away with you into the night<em>  
><em>If you need to fall apart<em>  
><em>I can mend a broken heart<em>  
><em>If you need to crash then crash and burn<em>  
><em>You're not alone<em>

_'Cause there has always been heartache and pain_  
><em>And when it's over you'll breathe again<em>  
><em>You'll breath again<em>

_When you feel all alone_  
><em>And the world has turned its back on you<em>  
><em>Give me a moment please<em>  
><em>To tame your wild wild heart<em>

_Let me be the one you call_  
><em>If you jump I'll break your fall<em>  
><em>Lift you up and fly away with you into the night<em>  
><em>If you need to fall apart<em>  
><em>I can mend a broken heart<em>  
><em>If you need to crash then crash and burn<em>  
><em>You're not alone<em>

As she let the final note fall silent, Jemima saw the figure of a cat enter the other end of the clearing. She couldn't make out who the cat was but their movement and shadowed appearance was profoundly familiar.

"You can still sing beautifully Jemima" the cat said simply.

"Who? Who are you" Jem replied?

The cat giggled and limped out of the shadows cast by the walls of the clearing. "I know I've been away a while but surely you recognise your own sister?"

Jemima jumped off the tyre and cautiously approached the pitiful cat in front of her. "Teaser?" It couldn't be her, could it? Daddy had said that Teaser was with the Everlasting Cat now. Jemima reached out a paw and poked the cat in the ribs.

"You're. You're real?" she asked hesitating still.

Teaser just laughed and rubbed the sore spot where she'd just been poked. "Yes I'm real. And I'm home."

Jemima pounced on her sister with a loud squeal, bowling the older cat over and began kissing and hugging Teaser while they rolled around on the ground.

Munkunstrap, Demeter and Bombarulina were all drawn from the den, where they were all mourning the loss of Rumpleteaser, to see what appeared to be the youngest daughter of the tribes protector being attacked by a much larger cat.

Munk let out a howl which pulled many a Jellicle from a sound sleep and to windows and out of doors in alarm. The protectors cry also stunned the two cats playing in the shadows, causing them to cease their play and turn to their father.

Jemima disentangled herself from her sister and pulled her into the light. "Daddy, Daddy. Look who I found!"

Now it was Munkunstrap and Demeters turn to be stunned. Then the most unexpected thing in the world happened. Munkunstrap, one of the greatest protectors the Jellicle tribe had ever had and the cat sure to be the next leader once Old Deuteronomy passed to the Heavyside Layer, fainted dead away.

He came to in the light of his den with the faces of his mate and his _Two_ daughters hovering over him. He reached up and touched her face with a gentle paw before pulling her into his arms and began to cry in relief.

…

I'd just finished explaining to mum and dad what had happened to me in the last couple of years. Apparently my sense of time had gotten completely screwed up and I'd been in that damn place for over 18 months combined with the 2 months that it had taken me to get home meant I was away for nearly 2 years.

"So the glow I was looking at was a city but it wasn't London. It was actually a place called Oxford. I eventually worked out how to get back to London and I came back here as soon as I could."

"One thing I've learnt from all this though is how much I truly love my family. All my family." I swept my sister in for another cuddle "and how fleeting life is, so I should make the best of it. I'm sorry I was such a bitch."

Mum said "All is forgiven. That you're home and safe is all that matters. We'll get Jenny to have a look at you tomorrow just to make sure, but that's after you get some sleep. We've kept your room just the way you left it."

They pulled me to my feet and lead me to my old room. Did I really like this back then? It was so dark and forbidding. "Um. Can I sleep with Jem tonight? I really don't feel like being alone and after I see Jenny I want to get rid of some of this and get something bright and pretty for in here."

"Sure honey," my dad said. "I'll even help you redecorate if you want."

Mum and Jem just rolled their eyes at him. "We'll look after that. Toms don't know anything…"

Dad looked at the three of us and had to admit that they were right, "Ok but if you need anything at all you just need to ask."

It was so very, very good to be home.

…

3 months later I had my 17th birthday and officially became an adult. I stayed at home mainly because I didn't feel right without my family, and it let me fall back into the behaviours of my youth. I got back into helping out with the kittens and watching over the adolescents in the tribe, but I also couldn't shake the wanderlust and excitement of getting into things just because I could. I became an extremely talented eavesdropper and spy, mainly I think due to the honing of the mind fogging ability that I'd learnt while in the pound. It was me that discovered who Uncle Tugger was going out with and that they'd secretly become mates. I'd been discovered shortly after that when Tantomile felt the presence of my mind and approached my hiding place. The resulting discussion had my uncle and new aunt inform my parents and a couple of the other adults about their mating and a warning from my aunt not to spy on our family, unless of course I wanted to be completely ostracised and risk being exiled if I was ever caught again.

Funnily enough Uncle Tugger didn't change his ways much after becoming mates with Tanto. They were intensely private with their relationship, and my uncle continued to flirt and break hearts amongst the kittens, so as not to reveal themselves to the tribe in general.

…

I was sitting out in the yard watching Jem, Vicky and Misto play when a cat I didn't recognise walked into the clearing. I quickly cleared the kits away and approached this tom.

"Yes? Can we help you?" I asked. My but this tom was a fine figure. He was another calico pattern and we nearly looked like we could be twins.

"Oh hi there me' darlin. An old bloke over by the theatre sent me over this way to look for somfin called the Jellicles, an ta look for sumone called Munkunstripe or some such." This tom was putting out some serious vibes. I was getting surprisingly warm just being around him and he had the most amazing accent.

"He's my dad. I'll take you to him now." I said and led him to my father.

Dad spoke briefly to him and then led him off to talk to Old D. I considered following them but taking heed of the warning I'd received I left well enough alone.

Instead I went to talk to my mum and started to regale her with a story about a hunky new tom to the junkyard. Mum just rolled her eyes at me and said something about having to have a talk to my father.

It was about an hour or so later when dad brought the new cat around the yard to introduce him to the tribe. I was with my mum and was the last one to be introduced to this hunk.

"and last but not least, here is the queen that brought you to my father and myself" said dad.

I looked up at him; he was about half a head taller than me, "I'm Rumpleteaser."

"I'm Mungojerrie" he replied with the most adorable grin on his face.

"Oh I'm going to love having him around."

**fin**

**This then leads into the events in the play 2 years later and Aftermath shortly after that.**

**The Song is "Crash and Burn" by Savage Garden who own all the rights thereof.**

**I'd love for you all to hit the review button down there and let me know what you think.**

**Thankyou for reading.**


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